Qin Ruqing casually sat down. “It’s only the second meeting, there’s not much to say. Even if there’s something good, we can’t bring it out without seeing their attitude.”

Her eyes glanced at the round plate on the table with several petal-shaped pastries, one of which had a bite taken out of it. Curiously, she asked, “What’s this?”

Qirong blinked. “Fairy fruit.”

Oh, fairy fruit? What kind of good thing dares to use ‘fairy’?

“Is it delicious?”

Qin Qirong：“……Hmm.”

Unable to resist her curiosity and craving, Qin Ruqing picked up a piece, sniffed it, then took a bite.

She chewed for a moment, then suddenly widened her eyes, feeling as if a thick block of cement was stuck in her throat.

She struggled to swallow it down and immediately began drinking water frantically.

Finally managing to swallow it, Qin Ruqing stood up and started rolling up her sleeves. “Qirong! Looks like you’re really itching for it!”

…

Two days later, Qin Ruqing met with the Yang family elder in the same teahouse.

Unlike our elder, who had a fairy-like demeanor, the Yang family elder had a dark complexion, a stubble beard, and was tall and burly, standing in front of Qin Ruqing like a small mountain, clearly someone who practiced martial arts.

He treated Qin Ruqing with great courtesy, not underestimating her because of her young age.

After sitting down, he said seriously, “Wenxu told me about Miss Qin’s visit yesterday, and I was excited to come and meet you.”

The Yang family elder looked fierce, but gave off a surprisingly gentle feeling, much like the vast desert, exuding a sense of grandeur and magnanimity.

Therefore, Qin Ruqing showed a humble and polite demeanor towards him, instead of her usual playful attitude.

She smiled and said, “With the elder’s position in the Yang family, why would you be excited to meet a younger generation like me?”

The Grand Elder paused, pondering over the term “status,” then looked earnestly at Qin Ruqing and said, “Given the current decline of my Yang family, even as the Grand Elder, what status can I claim?”

“We in the Western Ridge may be isolated, but my Yang family manages trade caravans, traveling far and wide, so we stay informed about the outside world.

The Qin family now boasts three Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, flourishing and with a young noble ancestor.

It’s a time of great prospects. If not for the difference in status between me and Miss, I should have paid my respects earlier when we first met, so that Miss could see my sincerity and foster cooperation between our families.”

His words were sincere, and even Qin Ruqing couldn’t help but develop a favorable impression of this mild-mannered, stern-faced elder.

After a moment’s thought, she produced two objects from her hand, two dark-green badges of an unknown material.

Qin Ruqing placed the first badge on the table and smiled, saying, “My name is Ruqing, and this is my identification badge.”

The Grand Elder glanced at the badge.

The familiar pattern carved on the front made him gasp.

He quickly flipped it over and found the name “Ruqing” engraved below.

Surprised, the Grand Elder exclaimed, “This is actually an Elder’s identification badge.”

Yes, the reason the Grand Elder found it familiar was because he also possessed a badge of the same material and type.

Seats for family elders were registered by the Celestial Bureau , and figures like clan leaders and ancestors had to be listed in exclusive registers.

These badges were issued by the Celestial Bureau for inter-family dealings to clarify identities.

Otherwise, anyone could falsely claim to be a family elder, which would be no joke.

This identification badge before him was genuine, issued specifically by the Celestial Bureau as an Elder’s badge.

A sweep of spiritual awareness would confirm its authenticity without error.

The only difference was that the inscription on the badge indicated the region as “Southern Ridge,” and the back did not specify an elder seat.

“Could Miss Ruqing really be an Elder of the Qin family?”

Qin Ruqing seemed somewhat shy as she smiled and replied, “Sort of, but I haven’t officially attended meetings, so the back of the badge doesn’t list a seat.”

“Not attending meetings means there’s no number written. Normally, the number of elder seats is engraved on the back. Some top-tier families can have over a dozen elder seats.”

Qin Ruqing thought that if she successfully built her Foundation, when she returned to the Qin family, the back of this badge would likely be engraved with six characters.

By then, should she call herself Qin Family’s Fifth or Qin Family’s Sixth?

While Qin Ruqing was lost in thought, the Grand Elder was simply stunned into silence.

Through Yang Wenxu’s account, he already knew that Qin Ruqing was highly regarded in the Qin family, seemingly holding an elder position.

However, holding an elder position didn’t mean she could obtain an identification badge; these were entirely separate concepts.

Elder badges had to be registered and certified by the Celestial Bureau. Did this mean the Bureau also recognized her elder status?

While the Grand Elder was still digesting this, Qin Ruqing produced another badge.

It was also dark-green, but this identification badge was larger than the previous Elder badge, with much more intricate carvings.

“You should recognize this badge too, Grand Elder. Bringing out the main badge could cause trouble, so I’ve brought out the auxiliary badge instead.”

The Grand Elder’s mouth hung open for a while before he could find his voice.

‘Trouble is brewing,’ Qin Ruqing murmured. Of course, trouble would arise because this was the Qin family’s ancestral token.

Qin Ruqing placed the two tokens side by side and pushed them toward the elder with a resolute tone. “These two tokens signify identity and demonstrate our sincerity in cooperation.”

Her sincerity was indeed persuasive.

The stern-faced elder from the Yang family exhaled slowly and, without many words, asked, “Miss Qin, what does the Yang family need to do?”

Qin Ruqing put away the tokens and presented another item with solemnity. “I want the Yang family to auction this item at the auction.”

She pushed a jade bottle in front of the elder. Hesitantly, the elder opened the bottle, releasing a strange aroma.

Just by smelling it, one could feel a clear flow of spiritual energy within.

“This…” The elder seemed moved, feeling his heart race uncontrollably.

Qin Ruqing smiled gently. “As its name suggests, this pill accelerates spiritual energy circulation and has a refreshing effect on the mind and vision.

Taking one pill lasts for about three days, supporting long-term use with minimal side effects.

After all, its main ingredient is spiritual milk, something even children in the spirit-nurturing period can use.”

The Grand Elder stood up abruptly!

The residents of Xiling suffered greatly from the fire poison, their spiritual energy circulation sluggish.

This pill not only accelerated spiritual energy but also refreshed the mind and vision—it was tailored for cultivators in Xiling!

“Miss Qin speaks the truth!”

“If Grand Elder doubts it, you can personally try one pill.”

The elder hesitated briefly before opening the jade bottle and pouring out a pill.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Qin Ruqing’s words, but he genuinely wanted to experience the smooth flow of spiritual energy.

After swallowing the pill, spiritual energy seemed to spontaneously start circulating, growing faster and faster, clearing away the sluggish feeling that had lingered due to the fire poison.

It’s hard to describe this light and effortless feeling—it was like a person who had been carrying a thousand pounds suddenly unloaded their burden after running ten miles, feeling refreshed.

The stern-faced elder closed his eyes to experience it for a while.

When he opened them again, his gaze towards Qin Ruqing was positively glowing.

He immediately said, “How many of these pills does Miss Qin have left? The Yang family wants them all, and I’ll pay any price you ask!”

Even saying “any price you ask” was like giving a blank check, showing the elder’s excitement and determination.

As the stern-faced elder eagerly waited for her response, Qin Ruqing shook her head.

“My condition is that the Yang family auctions this pill at the auction and promotes it widely. I have no intention of selling privately for now.”

Seeing the elder about to speak, Qin Ruqing continued, “I know the Yang family won’t shortchange the Qin family on price, but it’s not about the money.”

“This cooperation between the Qin and Yang families spans the mountains.

We still don’t know each other well enough.

Sincerity, no matter how much we talk about it, cannot be proven.

It’s better to cooperate first.

After all, one step leads to the next.

I’m here, fully representing the Qin family. There’s no need for the Grand elder to rush.”

The elder quieted down under Qin Ruqing’s words, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

After a while, he said, “Miss Qin has thought it through thoroughly, while I’ve been too hasty.”

Qin Ruqing looked at the elder with a hint of regret in her eyes.

The elder nodded slightly, his face warming a bit. “I remember Yang Family’s auction hasn’t seen any rare items for a long time. With this Vitality Elixir, though not extremely valuable, it’s still quite rare in Xiling. Yang Family could use this opportunity to boost their reputation. Isn’t this much more beneficial than simply buying a few bottles?”

Usually, with sincere cooperation, as long as the other party didn’t play tricks, it would result in a win-win situation.

Taking this elixir to enhance their reputation was far more advantageous than simply purchasing it outright.

Sure enough, the Grand elder quickly grasped the idea and seemed slightly enthusiastic.

Having encountered such a suitable elixir, he was momentarily excited and forgot the best way to maximize profits: auctioning the elixir to increase the auction house’s prestige.

The Grand elder sincerely sighed, “I was initially doubtful, but now I understand why Miss Qin obtained the elder’s token.”

Qin Ruqing smiled and didn’t press him on what he understood.

The token was prepared for her by the ancestral elder; if she wanted, she could even obtain her father’s assistant token and carry three tokens to deceive others later on.

After discussing some auction details, when it was time to leave, Qin Ruqing suddenly remembered something and casually asked.

“Oh right, Grand Elder, I heard that access to the Small Floating Sky here is controlled by the Celestial Bureau . I wonder if there are any regulations regarding entry quotas?”

“The Small Floating Sky?” The elder was surprised at first, then realized, “No wonder Miss Qin came to Xiling. You must be interested in the Small Floating Sky’s secret realm.”

Qin Ruqing smiled faintly without elaborating further.

The Grand elder continued, “I wonder if Miss Qin is aware that only noble families controlled by the Celestial Bureau have entry qualifications. Outsiders wishing to enter the Small Floating Sky must rely on affiliating with a noble family to obtain their entry quota.”

Qin Ruqing’s smile froze imperceptibly.

Damn it, there are entry restrictions for outsiders, and you have to rely on affiliations?!

Tang Zifeng, that stoic guy, never mentioned this to her!

The Grand elder spoke gently, “If Miss Qin wishes to enter the Small Floating Sky, my Yang family can certainly help. With a bit of maneuvering, we can arrange one or two quotas for you.”

But we have four people!

Qin Ruqing tugged at the corner of her mouth, masking her emotions with a fake smile. “Let’s not rush. I’ll consider it closer to the time.”

The elder glanced at her with a hint of curiosity.

Three days later, the long-dormant Yang Family auction house suddenly burst with astonishing news.

The Yang family announced that they would auction three sets of pills that accelerate spiritual energy circulation in their auction house, inviting all tribes of Xiling to participate!

Although the Yang family had declined in recent years, they were once a prominent noble family.

This announcement sent shockwaves throughout Xiling.

Pills that accelerate spiritual energy?

Was the Yang family resorting to such sensational gimmicks because their auction house couldn’t attract attention anymore?

No one had ever heard of such pills.

Even if they existed, how could the now-declining Yang family obtain them?

Despite skepticism, the Yang family began promoting the auction vigorously for the upcoming seven days.

This made people hesitate—could it be true after all?

Just the thought of it ignited a spark of excitement in their hearts.

If it was false, they could use the opportunity to tear down the roof of Yang Family’s failing auction house.

But if it was true… could there really be such a stroke of luck?!